What I’m about to tell you is quite hard to believe. I barely believe it myself and I experienced it first hand.
Do you believe in ghosts? I was never a believer in the paranormal. Not until one night in August. It was the last night before I was supposed to head off to college and I remember it like it was yesterday.
It had only been a week since my grandmother’s funeral. Losing her has been really hard on me. Still is. We were very close. She babysat me my entire life. She taught me how to cook. She even taught me how to play poker. How many grandmothers do you know that’ll show their grandkids how to gamble? We had so many conversations over the years. She was always the one I went to with all my problems. It’s hard to believe she’s gone.
It’s the last night before I have to go off to college. My parents have never been more proud of me and yet, going to college is the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to travel and see the world. I wanted to visit exotic places, meet unique people, and write all about it. My grandmother used to always tell me it’s my life and I need to decide how to live it and yet I felt like I was living the life my parents wanted for me.
After I spent the whole day packing for my flight the next morning, my friends pulled up. They’ve been trying to get me to go out with them all summer long and now that it was the last day before I left I felt like I had no choice. I let Chance, Ryan, and Joel, my three best friends pull me along to a party on the beach.
Everyone from my high school was there. There was a fire set up and Joel pulled out his guitar. Cassy greeted me as soon as I got there. We dated for a while before we ultimately decided we were better off being friends. She always had her hands in my dark black hair. I have to admit, I kind of miss that.
As everyone was having a great time for the last bash of the year, I slipped out and went for a walk along the shoreline. That’s when I met the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen and yet she looked familiar. Very familiar. She was about my age. She had the most exotic olive golden skin. She was wearing a flower dress as she walked barefoot in the sand. She had the kind of face that made even the darkest nights feel warm and cozy. Her eyes met mine and a lovely smile turned up on her lips. She waved me over.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi, have we met before?” I asked.
“Perhaps,” she said, tossing her silky black hair to one side. “So, what brings you out here all alone?”
“I just needed to get some fresh air and space to think,” I said.
“Oh? And what thoughts did you want to ponder?” she asked. She had a way of speaking that I found very appealing. It reminded me of someone.
“Oh, tomorrow I head off to college. My parents want me to get a law degree. They tell me I’d be the first in our family to graduate college,” I said.
“But that’s not what you want, is it?” she asked.
“No. Not really,” I said.
“What do you want to do?” she asked.
“I want to travel around the world and write about it,” I said.
“That sounds fantastic. Why don’t you do that?” she asked.
“I tried to convince my parents that it’s what I want to do, however, they think it’s a terrible idea. They don’t want to see me throw my life away like that. At least that’s what they said,” I explained.
She stopped and looked at me with those eyes that seemed to be able to see deep into my soul. “It’s your life and you need to decide how to live it.”
Those words struck me right in the heart. “What did you say?”
“I was just saying, you shouldn’t let your parents dictate your life,” she said with a smile. “If you want to travel the world then do it. Life’s too short. Trust me. Don’t waste your life following choices made by someone else.”
“You know, you’re right,” I said. She gives me a smile. “What did you say your name was?”
“Yo, Leo!” I heard Chance yell, pulling my attention away from the pretty woman. I looked over to see him walking up. “Who are you talking to?”
“Oh, this is…” I turn around to find no one there. What the? “I swear I was just talking to the most beautiful girl ever. She was right here. I swear!”
“Okay… sure,” Chance said with an expression that told me he didn’t really believe me. I wouldn’t either. I was confused about what just happened. “Anyway, I’ve got a blunt rolled with your name on it.”
“Okay, sure,” I said following him back to the fire. I took one last lookout and in the far distance, I swear I saw what could be a silhouette of a woman, but it was too hard to tell.
—
“Honey, are you up? The plane leaves in a few hours. We need to get to the airport soon,” my mother said as she pounded on my door. She opened it up and turned the light on. I felt like shit. I must’ve drunk way too much that night. I didn’t remember most of the night. God, my head was pounding.
I forced myself up and got ready for the plane. Thank god I already packed my bags. We all scrambled to load the car and get to the airport. As I waited in line I had this strange feeling like I shouldn’t be there. I tried to remember what all happened the night before. I remembered meeting the most beautiful girl… What was her name?
I remembered walking on the shoreline with her. “Honey, if you forgot to pack anything, just let me know and we can mail it to you.”
“Okay,” I said. We got up to the ticket booth and got my boarding pass. Flight 7123. We made our way to the TSA check and my mother smothered me in a hug. I gave my dad a hug as well. “Call us once you’ve landed.”
“I will,” I said as I got in line for the security walkthrough. After I got myself scanned and grabbed my stuff, I waved goodbye to my parents and had a seat at my terminal. I got there just in time as they started boarding for the plane.
I was next in line to have my boarding pass checked. Suddenly I remembered. It’s your life and you need to decide how to live it. That’s what that girl said to me the night before. That’s what my grandmother used to tell me. I remembered her saying those words all the time. She’s right. I couldn’t go through with it. It’s not what I wanted.
“Excuse me, may I see your boarding pass,” the TSA woman asked.
“I’m sorry, I won’t be boarding for this flight,” I said, I grabbed my luggage and walked away. I felt so elated at that moment. I knew I was doing the right thing. I just hoped my parents would see it that way. I rushed out to find them still sitting. They were not pleased to see me.
“What are you doing here?” my father asked. “Did you miss your flight? We made it with plenty of time.”
“I’ve decided I’m not going,” I said.
“What do you mean you’re not going?” My mother asked.
“Going to college and getting a law degree is what you want. It’s not what I want,” I said.
“Oh don’t tell me you still want to travel the world,” my father said with a sigh.
“It’s my life and I will decide how to live it,” I said.
“God, you sound just like my mother,” my mom said sharply. “I know you miss her, but this is your future we’re talking about.”
“I’ve made up my mind, mom. I’m not going to college. I’m going to do what I want to do,” I said.
“Is there anything we can say to make you reconsider? You’re making a huge mistake,” my father said. I just shook my head no. They finally gave up and we all headed out to the car. It was a 2-hour drive back home and no one said a word the whole way back. I could just feel my parents’ anger seething off of them.
Once we arrived home, my dad slumped in his chair and turned on the tv. All of our jaws dropped at the news. Flight 7123 had crashed during its flight to Boston. No one survived. I searched through my shorts before I pulled out my boarding pass. Sure enough, I read Flight 7123 on it in black letters. I felt like I just dodged a bullet. I should’ve been on that plane, but I followed the girl’s advice. I listened to my heart.
Both of my parents were speechless. They’d just gaped at the tv. Before I realized what was happening, my mother had me wrapped in her arms, tears falling down her eyes. “If you want to travel and see the world, I’m not going to stop you.”
God, I felt so lucky to be alive right then and there. If it wasn’t for that mysterious woman, I probably would’ve still been on that plane. I wish I could’ve gotten her name.
—
A few weeks later, I had planned out my journey. I decided to visit most of the US before going abroad, which would definitely be less costly, seeing how I could drive most of it. My plans were to stay a few months in each state, get a job to pay for my costs, and work as I take time to see the sights in each state before moving on to the next one. I’d work on my travel blog all the while. But before I left, I decided to help my parents clean out my grandmother’s house. That’s the least I can do for the woman who taught me everything.
I was putting all of her books in boxes when I stumbled upon an old photo album. I opened it up to find something that made my breath catch in my throat. It couldn’t be…
I pulled out a photo and looked at it closely. It was the woman from the beach. She’s even wearing the same flower dress and if I’m not mistaken, it was the same beach in the photo. I turned it over to see my grandmother’s name written in it. She was only 18 when this picture was taken. This can’t be right. That woman on the beach… Was it my grandmother’s ghost? That… That’s absurd. Right? I didn’t have any other explanation for it.
Tears started to well up in my eyes. Even after she died, she’s still looking out for me. I love you grandma and I always will.
The End.
Remember, you’re never safe in the dark…
If you enjoyed this story please join my email newsletter for an exclusive story you’ll only find on my email newsletter.